PROXIMATE DETERMINANTS OF FERTILITY IN EASTERN UTTAR-PRADESH

Our main objective here is to examine and discuss the effects of some sociocultural and economic factors on the proximate determinants of fe rtility in rural areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh (population more than 40 million persons). The region is known for its present demographic t rends because the crude birth, death, and infant mortality rates are a mong the highest for India, The determinants considered art: age at ma rriage of female, postpartum amenorrhea (PPA), fecundability and steri lity, and menopause. The sociocultural and economic factors studied ar e caste, education, breast-feeding status, and social status of the cu rrently married females in the reproductive age group. The study popul ation is predominantly Hindu, among whom caste is a strong indicator o f socioeconomic conditions, The average age of the female at return ma rriage (RM) is below 18 years in each religion or caste group but has been increasing over time, Median durations of breast feeding and PPA differ significantly among various socioeconomic and demographic subgr oups, These are longest in scheduled castes and shortest in upper-cast e Hindus. As the social status of the household increases, the median durations of breast feeding and PPA decrease. The estimates of fecunda bility consistently decrease with age, whereas those of sterility incr ease with age after 35 years. The smallest estimate of sterility is 4% , corresponding to the 25-30-year age group in each religion or caste group. Occurrence of menopause is rare before age 35, and it increases with the age of the female irrespective of religion or caste. However , the risk is minimum for females in upper castes and maximum for thos e in scheduled castes.